The Battle for the Title
by 242megxxx
Summary: Mildred arrives back at school in her fifth year desperate to wrove shes no longer the ww. Maud nominates her as head girl..but will Ethel give up the coveted title so easily? and will HB accept her? Inspired in part by 'The Univited'.
1. Chapter 1

The Final Year. Part 1: The battle for the Title.

**So I remember getting really annoyed that we never got to see or read about Mildred and co in her fifth year. This has inspired me to write a series of short stories set in this period! **

**This one is based on an idea taken from 'The Univited'. I really liked the idea of Mildred defying the odds to become head girl.. However i wanted to put a different spin on it :) Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy read your stories :)**

**Mucho Love**

**242megxxx**

A warm September sun lit up the dark stone walls of Cackle's Academy for witches. The castle's many turrets acted as a mini obstacle course for the young girls as they attempted to land their broomsticks for the first day of school. A slightly chubby girl with two bunches and glasses and a tall girl with a long plait and a mischievous face were amongst the first to arrive.

"Gosh the summer holidays went far too quickly, can't wait for Christmas." Enid Nightshade glumly muttered to her friend Maud.

"Oh I think it's great to be back! I've missed everyone so much."

"But it's our final year Maud; it's bound to be rock hard. Bet HB has us doing five thousand words a day!"

"Six thousand in your case Enid Nightshade, although I doubt even a hundred of them would be relevant." An icy voiced barked from behind them. The two girls gulped and span round, just in time to see their dreaded ex-form mistress and potion teacher appear from nowhere.

Miss Hardbroom from clad head to toe in her usual black attire, with her hair scraped back into a tight bun and a severe 'not impressed' look on her ivory face.

"Welcome back girls, this year will be your hardest yet, I hope you are up to the challenge? Millicent Blackroot I hope that is not an earring dangling from your ear?" Maud and Enid watched, dumbfounded as their teacher strode briskly away from them and zapped the poor second years jewellery from her.

"Wow HB's on a mission this year, a puffification under her belt and school hasn't even started yet." Maud whispered.

"Poor Millie, she has no chance."

"Speaking of Mildred.. That can't be her can it…?" The two girls gazed up at the sky, stunned by what they saw. An older looking girl flew purposely and confidently on a shiny new broom above the school yard, where she landed with ease and grace despite the gazes from the audience she had created. She was tall, with pretty features absent of makeup, long dark wavy hair hung down to her waist. She was wearing the school uniform, yet it seemed to suit her better than some of the other girls and on her feet were a pair of polished black shoes, with a tiny wedge. She dismounted her broom and strode over to her friends.

"Maud, Enid! I've missed you guys so much." The girls enveloped each other into a group hug.

"Look at you Mils… you look so different! And where's old banana broom?" Maud said, breaking the hug in order to get a closer look at her best friend.

"I finally convinced mum to buy me a new one.. Said I didn't have a hope at passing Flying on that old thing!" Mildred beamed with pride.

"You look absolutely stunning Millie, very grown up! I love your hair like that" Enid exclaimed.

"Thanks Enid, I really can't believe this is our last year at Cackles, it feels like we were them only yesterday." She gestured to a bunch of nervous looking first years, who were eyeing up Miss Hardbroom with fear and trepidation.

"Let's make the most of it!" exclaimed Maud. "Oh look there's Jadu and Rubes!"

"Urghh and Ethel and Drusilla… bet Ethel runs for Head Girl, she loves any chance to boss people around." Enid muttered, eyeing up the pretty blonde and her redheaded side-kick.

"What are you all gawping at?" spat Ethel, noticing her audience. "Wow Hubble Bubble, new shoes? You could hardly walk in the last pair! And your hair should be up, Cackles rules! Don't make me tell Miss Hardbroom."

"God, Ethel give it a rest.. your not Head girl yet you know.."

"It's just a matter of time." Drusilla said smugly.

Xxx


	2. Chapter 2

**Hope you liked the first chapter! Hope Ive managed to stay true to the Hubble but still making her more grown up...**

" Into your lines girls." Came the barking order from Miss Hardbroom. The effect was instantaneous, the pupils quickly ended their catch-ups and rushed into their form-lines, determined not to keep HB waiting. The teacher did not like to wait.

Amelia Cackle, the kind-hearted headmistress had appeared at the side of her deputy. Her ancient face was creased with pleasure at welcoming back her girls, her eyes shone beneath her oval glasses.

"Welcome to our new pupils and welcome back to our older pupils. I hope that you have all had a pleasant holiday and are looking forward to doing some work."  
"Hard work." Cut in Miss Hardbroom, glaring at the girls.

"Yes thank you Miss Hardbroom." Amelia continued merrily. "To our new students, I hope you are excited to start your first day of five long years of being a Cackle's pupil. This academy is steeped with witch tradition and therefore you can expect a great deal from your time here, and in return we expect a great deal from you. Our standards are high; perhaps a few of you older students ought to remember this too." Miss Cackle caught Mildred eyes and smiled. "Onwards ever striding onwards, that is our school motto. Now onto business; this morning you shall all have some time in order to unpack and settle into your rooms. This afternoon shall be spent with your form groups, where you will receive your lesson timetables. Lessons will start promptly at 9am tomorrow morning. Now usually my deputy here Miss Hardbroom is form tutor to form one. However due to a number of incidents over the past few years, she has continued with the same form group. Now they are in their final year I believe it would be a shame for her not to continue the progress she has made. Therefore Miss Hardbroom will be tutoring form five-."

"Oh no, why us!" muttered Enid unhappily. She had been looking forward to finally getting rid of HB.

"- and Miss Gimlet will be tutoring form one. Now off to your rooms ladies and I will see you all later. Let's have a fantastic start to the school year!"

* * *

The girls followed the queue making their way into the foyer and up the stairs to the dorms. Mildred couldn't wait to reunite with her beloved bats.

"Mildred." Came an unmistakable voice from below her. Mildred froze and peered over the banister at her form-mistress. The women beckoned her over.

"Yes miss?" Mildred stared at her shoes; surely she couldn't have done anything wrong yet?

"Follow me to my office; I think we need a little chat." HB's voice was soft, yet it seemed to have no warmth to it. Mildred followed her teacher; her head was spinning as she almost ran to keep up. They reached the office, the scene where Mildred had spent many detentions, usually for something not entirely her fault. Miss Hardbroom sat down behind her antique desk and gestured for Mildred to sit in the chair opposite.

"So Mildred, I have been looking through my forms final year electives and I came across yours which I found very interesting." She peered at Mildred though her sharp hazel eyes. The girl seemed a lot older than the bumbling pupil she had last seen six weeks previous. She looks almost grown up, HB observed. She reminded herself that her girls were now fifteen and nearly adults. How time flies, she thought a little sadly.

"I see that you have elected to do a WHLC (Witches Higher Level Certificate) in potions. Now correct me if I am wrong Miss Hubble but you have shown no desire at all in my potions lessons over the past four years and no ability. I am under the impression that this is a mistake?"

"Erm n n no miss." Mildred stuttered, she paused for a moment knowing that her stuttering would annoy her teacher. "It is true that I have not enjoyed the subject in the past, most likely because I have never been any good at it but I've decided I want to train to be a healer when I leave Cackles, they only accept students that have a certificate in potions."

This took Constance Hardbroom by surprise. She had underestimated the girl sat in front of her. She had always assumed that Mildred lived in a bubble, with no thought to what her next move would be.

"Healing is a very noble career choice Mildred, you have my approval there. If you are serious about this, I will let you do potions this year, with a bit of study and concentration you should be able to reach the level of the rest of the class. I also might be able to help. If you are serious about this, I will give you extra lessons." Miss Hardbroom could scarcely believe the words coming from her mouth, was she really offering private lessons to her clumsiest pupil?

"Oh erm yeh I guess that would be good." Mildred was taken by surprise at her teacher's kind offer. On the one hand she couldn't think of anything worse than private lessons with Miss Hardbroom, but on the other she really needed to improve at the subject to stand a chance at being accepted onto Healer training at Weirdsister.

Constance raised her eyebrows.

"I mean, yes Miss Hardbroom."

"We will begin tonight after dinner. 6pm sharp."

Mildred stared at her teacher; she really couldn't figure the woman out. Most of the time she seemed this scary authoritarian with no feelings whatsoever, but sometimes it felt as if the mask was lifted revealing a more maternal almost caring woman.

"Hurry along now Mildred, my in-tray is building up." HB barked in her usual clipped tones. Mildred rushed to the door pausing before she opened it.

"Thank you, Miss Hardbroom."

"Oh and Mildred?"

Mildred turn round to face her tutor; the woman had already opened a pile of papers and unleashed her red pen "Yes miss?"

"Ethel was right, having your hair down is against uniform. I want to see your hair tied back next time I see you or else you will be in detention, although I am thankful that you have got rid of the untidy plaits."

Mildred smiled and left the room, Miss Hardbroom would always be the same.

xxx


	3. Chapter 3

xxx

"Welcome back form five." Miss Hardbroom addressed her form. "I don't think you need reminding that this is an important year for you all, so I expect great effort and results." Her gazed lingered on Mildred, she was delighted to see the girl now modelling a neat chignon, not so different from her own tight bun although much looser. "Now before I hand out your new timetables I'd like to remind you of the open position of Head Girl. The job is very prestigious and carries with it a weighty responsibility. Now does anybody have any nominations?"

Drusilla was quick to raise her hand. "I nominate Ethel Hallow, she gets the best grades so the job should rightfully be hers." Ethel smiled petulantly at her peers.

"Anybody else? No? Well Ethel, I think you will do a fine job." HB smiled at her highest achieving pupil.

"I nominate Mildred Hubble!" Maud almost-shouted. Ethel and Drusilla glared.

"Me?" Mildred looked bemused.

"Mildred?" Miss Hardbroom raised one brow.

"Yes miss, Mildred represents exactly what this school is about. Miss Cackle said it herself. 'Onwards ever striding onwards.' You might not realise how much effort Millie has put in to proving she's not The Worst Witch, and how many times has she saved all our lives and the school now? She deserves this miss!"

"I second that." Enid exclaimed.

"I third that". Jadu cut in

"fourth". Ruby Cherrytree added.

Ethel cut in angrily. "This is ridiculous Miss, Mildred to represent us? It's such a joke! She'd embarrass the school!"

"Enough Ethel, although Mildred perhaps wouldn't be my first choice, we live in a democracy." Miss Hardbroom sniffed. "In this case we shall go to a vote. Tomorrow afternoon we will have a whole school assembly and we will let your peers decide.

* * *

"Oh Maud I do wish you hadn't had nominated me, you know I'll be no good." Mildred decided to bring the subject up during dinner.

"I meant what I said Mils, you do deserve this. If you drop out we will have Ethel breathing down our necks all year."

"but-"

"Please Mildred!"

"Fine! Anyway I better get off.. I have my first potions session with HB, If I'm late she will kill me."

"Ooo good luck." Maud smiled in support, knowing her friend's history with HB Mildred would be very nervous.

* * *

Mildred entered the potions lab to find her teacher busily pipetting some bright blue mixture into a glass beaker. " Ahh Mildred, your five minutes early. I hope this terrific start to the year continues. Actually no I don't, at this rate I might actually have to clean my store cupboard myself."

Mildred smiled nervously, it was rare that her potions mistress joked and she felt too unprepared to respond.

"I want you to read the theory on page 56 of your potions textbook, whilst I finish off, then I shall supervise your making of an enlargement potion. They usually appear in the WHLC practical exam and you have yet to make one to a passable standard. Hopefully I should be able to discover where you are going wrong. " Miss Hardbroom barked her orders at her nervous pupil.

Mildred settled down on a bench and pulled out her book and began to read, secretly watching HB work with fascination, the woman moved quickly yet carefully in a way only a very skilled worker knows how. Five minutes later the woman placed her protective glasses on the base of her nose and peered at her pupil.

"Ok Mildred, we will need three beakers, a clean pipette and a Bunsen burner."

Mildred hurried to the store cupboard and reappeared with the necessary equipment. Miss Hardbroom flicked her fingers at the burner causing dancing orange flames to appear.

"Now I want you to follow the recipe you have just read under my supervision."

Mildred hands shook with nerves as she started adding the first ingredients to her potion. One wrong move and HB would probably shout like she usually did in class. Ten minutes in and the instructions were getting increasing complex.

"Stop right there Mildred. You have not yet added the powdered snakeskin."

"umm oh yeh, I forgot about that." Mildred muttered guiltily staring at her shoes. Miss Hardbroom's eyes flashed with annoyance.

"You need to stop being so careless Mildred, it will be your downfall in life if you don't learn to control it now. Missing out an ingredient in a potion is dangerous; you do not know what you might end up with. Now continue but make sure you read the instructions thoroughly and in future pay more attention to what you are doing or else you will never pass your potions exam!" Miss Hardbroom looked into the girl's eyes, which were beginning to tear. "Oh for goodness sake Mildred, pull yourself together!"

The girl took a deep breath and continued with her potion, trying to ignore the scrutiny of Miss Hardbroom whose cold breath she could almost feel on her neck. After about twenty minutes the potion was light orange in colour, the exact shade that the book described as the end product.

Miss Hardbroom had been watching the girl closely, her role as a teacher meant that she could read people like a book. Constance saw that the girl was nervous and still a little upset, guilt flooded her. She was always too quick to criticise and she knew that Mildred had took her criticism to heart.

"Well Mildred that looks like a good quality enlargement potion, shall we test it?" She said trying, unsuccessfully to inject kindness into her words.

Mildred nodded slowly, knowing that Miss Hardbroom's questions were usually rhetorical. She slowly added a few drops of the potion onto a snail which her teacher had provided and watched in surprise that the snail grew to twice its size.

"Wow it actually worked." Mildred gasped.

"I don't know why you are so surprised Mildred, this is what tends to happen when you pay attention to what you are doing." HB returned the smile that Mildred was now beaming at her. "I am pleased, now leave the equipment where it is and I shall sort it. We shall repeat this lesson next week; I think we ought to try you with a reduction potion. They are slightly more complicated than enlargements but I think that if you concentrate you should be able to handle it."

"Thanks miss." Mildred grabbed her bag and left the room.

Constance felt very satisfied. It would say a lot for her as a teacher if she could get Mildred Hubble to pass her potions with flying colours. The girl had definitely grown up she acknowledged. The girl she had known previously would not have been able to pull it together whilst being upset like she had today. Maybe she was head girl material after all?

Xxx


	4. Chapter 4

In a small dormitory at the end of the second floor corridor Ethel Hallow and Drusilla Paddock were plotting.

"There is no way she is beating me Dru! I don't know who she thinks she is. She's come back this year with her new broom and new shoes and she thinks she's it! I think everyone needs reminding that Mildred Hubble will always be The Worst Witch!"

"But Ethel.. What are you going to do?"

"See this" Ethel pointed to a large vial of clear liquid on her desk. "It's an anti-gravity potion, I stole it from the potion store cupboard."

"What you're going to make Mildred fly?"

"No Drusilla of course not! Don't be so stupid! This is for Miss Hardbroom, I'm going to slip a drop in into her morning coffee during potions tomorrow. But the rest of it is going in Mildred Hubble's school bag. Miss Hardbroom is bound to stop Mildred running for Head girl once she's pulled a prank on her. She'll go ballistic! "

"But Mildred wont have played a prank on her.. you will?" Drusilla was well and truly confused.

"God Drusilla you are dim! HB won't know that will she? She will think Mildred's done it. She will be furious with her, maybe she'll even get kicked out for good!" Ethel laughed with glee at the sheer genius of her plan.

* * *

The next day arrived far too quickly for Mildred, who had had a lack of sleep due to worrying about the vote. At half seven she reluctantly rose, walked to the communal showers to get washed in the lukewarm water, dressed and secured hair into her new signature chignon. She met Enid, Maud, Jadu and Ruby in the hall for breakfast, which was Cackles usual cold lumpy porridge.

"Morning Mil" Ruby greeted her cheerfully.

"How you feeling?" Maud asked.

"I'll be fine, I just hope I don't let you down." Mildred smiled unconvincingly.

The girls finished their breakfasts and set off to potions, not knowing the drama that was to come.

* * *

Meanwhile Ethel had got to class early and was busy spiking Miss Hardbroom's coffee that had been left by Mrs Tapioca to cool on her desk.

"Quick Ethel, they're coming!" Drusilla whispered from the door she had been made to guard.

Ethel grabbed the stopper and pushed it back into the glass beaker. Both girls scuttled to their desks before the rest of the class entered. At that moment HB did her usual entrance of appearing from nowhere at the front of the class.

"Morning girls, I trust you have come to lesson with your brains in gear and ready to tackle a complex potion today?" None of the class responded. "We are making a concentration potion this morning, which is ironic as it will take a lot of concentration to get it right. I want one person from each pair to come and get the ingredients which I will be handing out at the front. The instructions for this potion are on page 67 of your potions handbook. Begin."

"Now Drusilla" Ethel hissed, her eye on Miss Hardbroom telling her that she was busy.

Ethel walked up to Mildred and stood right in front of her desk. "So Hubble bubble.. You nervous about the vote?. I would be, there's going to be all those eyes watching you…Judging you."

"Go away Ethel! You're just scared I might actually win." Mildred muttered.

"Did you do it?" Ethel hissed.

"Yep, slipped it into her bag while you were distracting her." Drusilla whispered back. "Now what do we do?"

"We wait." Ethel replied smugly.

It was another five minutes before anything happened. Miss Hardbroom returned to her desk, grabbed some paperwork and took a small sip of her coffee. Before she had chance to realise that the coffee didn't taste right she had levitated to near the ceiling. The sight was funny to behold. The teacher who was always in control had such a look of surprise on her face most of the class started to laugh.

Mildred unfortunately was one of those people that had a full on guffawing laugh that she could never stop. So when most of her classmates' laughs had reduced to small sniggers, she was still laughing at full volume, much to the annoyance of her teacher who had quickly flicked her finger and returned to earth swiftly.

"Something funny Mildred", she snarled.

"Um no miss." Mildred tried unsuccessfully to replace her face with a sensible one.

"I would like to know who found it funny to add anti-gravity potion to my coffee? Would anybody like to own up? No? Well that's a shame. I want everybody's school bags on the table. I'm sure a little search will help me to find the culprit." Miss Hardbroom's voice was like venom, cold but deadly.

Xxx


	5. Chapter 5

The girls grabbed their bags and the inspection began. Mildred was the fourth person to be searched.

Miss Hardbroom lifted the potion bottle out of her bag. Mildred's mouth dropped to the floor.

"Miss I swear-"

She glared at Mildred then carried the glare round to the rest of the class. "Go." She ordered to the girls who swiftly grabbed their bags and left the potions room, Ethel shot Mildred a smug look before leaving.

"Well Miss Hubble? I am waiting for an explanation."

"I swear Miss, I've never seen that bottle before in my life. I don't know how it got there."

"Oh a likely story! How dare you lie to me!"

"Miss Hardbroom please! Believe me! I never…"

"I really thought you had changed Mildred, that you had grown up and left all your silly ways behind. Now I find you conducting school girl pranks like a foolish first year! I am furious! You will remain in your room for the rest of the day writing 1000 lines of 'I am a fifth year student and therefore I must be a role model and stop the childish behaviour', in your best handwriting! I also believe detention for the rest of the week is appropriate. I guess I was wrong about my Potions cupboard not getting a clean."

"But Miss.. what about the assembly this afternoon? The head girl vote?" Mildred spoke softly trying to bite back her tears; she was far too used to being blamed for things that were not her fault and it wasn't fair."

"If I see you take a toe out of your room today you will be in even more trouble than you are in now! The title of Head Girl will go to Ethel, she has proven herself to be a far worthier candidate than you. Now get out of my sight!" Miss Hardbroom said these last words with such a force that Mildred didn't have to be asked twice and scuttled out of the room feeling very sorry for herself.

* * *

Mildred chucked herself onto her bed and cried with anger and frustration. It wasn't fair. She knew from the look Ethel had given her that she was responsible for her being in this situation. She was devastated; she had been making such progress, her first day was going so well but she was back to square one.

Meanwhile Ethel was celebrating. The rumour that she had now gained the Head Girl title had travelled fast and she couldn't wait for the afternoon assembly for Miss Cackle to make the official announcement.

"The first thing I'm going to do is make sure the rest of Mildred's stupid gang join her in detention." She said to Drusilla, who was lounging on her bed whilst she was admiring herself in the mirror.

"Don't you think that's a little mean Ethel?" Drusilla asked casually.

"What?" Ethel glared.

"Well it was quite mean what you did to Mildred, now the rest of them?"

"Actually Drusilla, I think you'll find it was what you did to Mildred." Ethel smiled evilly.

"but I I I.." Drusilla stuttered.

"So don't get all judgemental on me Dru!" Ethel snapped.

* * *

Maud was sat on her bed, bemused as she watched Enid pace back and forth.

"We need to do something." Enid said urgently. Maud just looked at her blankly.

"How? There's nothing we can do, we don't even know how it happened!"

"Yes we do. This has Ethel written all over it."

"We can't prove that Enid!"

"We need to tell HB!"

"She won't believe us. As far as she believes she's caught Mildred red handed. Anyway the woman's dead proud, it will be hard to convince her that she was wrong." Maud was the voice of reason.

"What do you mean?" asked Enid.

"HB is quick to judge, she forms opinions based on first impressions and then seeks evidence to convince herself that she is right. You wasn't here in our first year Enid… you didn't see Mildred nose dive into the bins on her first day. HB wasn't impressed and once her mind's made up it takes a lot to change it."

"So what do we do?"

"We find evidence, or better… a confession." Maud smiled at her logic.

"Ethel will never confess. She's a Hallow, she thinks Head Girl is her birth right."

"No but I know someone that might…."


	6. Chapter 6

Xxx

Drusilla's conscience was playing on her. She had always admired Ethel, her sheer confidence had always made Drusilla in awe of her best friend, willing to do anything to please her. But this?

A knock at her door startled her. Without waiting for an answer Enid Nightshade entered with an angry expression, closely followed by Maud Moonshine.

" W What are-" Drusilla stuttered.

"Hands up Drusilla, we know that Ethel was involved in today's potion antics!" Enid glared.

"I don't know what your talking about!"

"Look Drusilla, Mildred's really upset. She's been making such an effort this term… there's talk that they might kick her out, she's been on her last warning for so long. HB's furious!" Maud pleaded.

"OK.. ok… Ethel didn't but the potion in Mildred's bag…"

"but if Ethel didn't…"

"No.. you don't understand. It was Ethel's idea… but I did it. It was me." Drusilla looked at the floor, wishing it would swallow her whole.

* * *

Constance Hardbroom was recovering from her traumatic lesson in her private study. She felt deeply disappointed. Despite outward appearance a growing fondness of Mildred had been growing since her heroic antics in the first year. The girl was messy, clumsy and bumbling, traits that Constance usually hated. But the girl had heart, and had proved on more than one occasion that she had courage, which Constance respected her for. The summer holidays had given way to a changed Mildred, a girl who had ambition and was prepared to work hard to get there, a girl Constance felt she could be proud of. But the lesson that morning had proved that her first opinions about the girl were correct.

A tiny knock on her door started her. She never had guests, not even Amelia herself would visit her when she was in her private quarters and the girls were far too scared of her quick temper to come to her unless there was a real emergency.

She crossed her arms and appeared outside her room, behind her guests. She was surprised to see it was Maud and Enid, with Drusilla in tow, looking like she would do anything not to be there. "Yes?" She inquired, making the girls jump.

"It's about Mildred miss.." Enid plucked up the courage to speak. She had always been the most gutsy.

"I have had quite enough of that girl today-" Miss Hardbroom spoke harshly.

"Miss It's really important!" Maud spoke with urgency, taking even Miss Hardbroom aback.

"Very Well…" Constance sighed and gestured using her long eyebrows for the girls to go inside. She followed them and closed the door with a flick of her finger.

"What?" She barked, still annoyed that her peace had been disrupted.

" Go on Drusilla…" Maud urged.

Drusilla stared at Miss Hardbroom's pointy shoes, scared to provoke her by looking her in the eyes. "It was me, Miss Hardbroom. I put the potion in Mildred's bag. I framed her."

Constance was shocked, Drusilla had always been one of the quietist in her form, lurking under the shadow of her friend.

"Were you alone in this plan to besmirch one of your classmates?" HB already knew the answer.

"No.. It was Ethel's idea Miss.."

"Rest assured you will be dealt with Drusilla. Now hurry along girls… assembly is due to start."

"But miss! Ethel-" Enid was outraged, HB was famous for punishing, she had been on the receiving end of it quite a few times. Was she really going to let Ethel get away with it?

"I said hurry along Enid Nightshade."

Xxx


	7. Chapter 7

**Final Chapter :) Will Millie manage to become Head Girl and shirk of the WW title.. or will Ethel get her way?**

Mildred was in her room reading one of her favourite novels. _Jane Eyre._ She enjoyed reading about life in another time. It took her away from thinking about the mess she was in. A rapt knock at the door made her jump. She wasn't allowed visitors.

"Whose There?" she whispered "If HB finds you…" She opened the door to reveal her form-mistress.

"Miss _Hardbroom _Mildred, I do not shorten your name so I would appreciate the same courtesy." Miss Hardbroom shot her an icy look.

"Oh umm I'm ss-sorry Miss."

"I have changed my mind, your presence is required at assembly after all.

"But-?"

"Hurry, or else you shall be late and I will have to punish you further." HB disappeared.

Mildred gulped. The woman never simply changed her mind. Maybe she was to be expelled in front of everyone? As some sort of warning to the other girls?

* * *

Mildred rushed into assembly and sat on the very back row just as the school song started. Miss Bat was singing one pitch higher than the rest whilst playing the schools huge organ. Miss Cackle was singing quietly whilst smiling at her flock benevolently from the raised platform. And miss hardbroom was..well… looking like her usually cheery self.

"_Full of joy we mix our potions, working by each other´s side.__  
__When our days at school are over, let us think of them with pride."_

Mildred hoped that her school days were not going to be over just yet.

"Welcome, Welcome to your first assembly of the year." Miss Cackle began. "I trust you have all settled in nicely and that you first years are finding your way around… Now, this assembly was called today in order for you to decide who you wish to represent you as head girl for the rest of the year. However..-"

"Oh here it goes" Mildred whispered to Maud who was a few seats away from her. Maud smiled in a caring way.

"-due to an incident that happened this morning, we were left with one candidate."

Ethel smiled, ready to stand up and collect her badge.

"- and that person is….."

"Mildred Hubble." Miss Hardbroom had stood up and interrupted.

Mildred remained in her seat, too shocked to move. Ethel looked like she had just swallowed a bee.

"Mildred will you please come up to the stage.." Miss Cackle smiled down at her unsuspecting pupil. Mildred slowly made her way to the stage.

"When Miss Hubble entered the academy, she had the reputation for being the worst witch. A title which over the years we have learnt was unfair. This girl, has one of the purest hearts in this school and I am looking for to seeing great things from her. Now three cheers for your new Head Girl."

The hall erupted into cheers as Mildred shook her headmistress's hand and received her badge. She sneaked a look over at her form mistress, who to her surprise caught her eye and smiled. A smile which softened her features and made her look like a human being, a very pretty one at that.

* * *

Mildred was one of the last to leave assembly, she had so many people saying congratulations. She and her gang were whispering excitedly, trying overhear what HB was saying. Ethel and Drusilla had been asked to stay behind and HB was currently laying into them.

"I am ashamed of you Ethel, deeply ashamed! You will have Miss Hubble's detentions on top of a three thousand word essay on the effects of an anti-gravity potion and just be thankful it isn't more! Drusilla you will join Ethel in detention and I want five hundred lines of 'I must take responsibility for my own actions.' Now go!"

Ethel and Drusilla sidled off miserably.

"Miss Nightshade" Enid gulped and went to face her teacher. "I am very impressed by the loyalty you and Miss Moonshine showed today. I am therefore announcing you both as joint deputy head girls. I want you to show the same loyalty to Mildred during the course of the year and help her when she needs it."

"Woah, thanks Miss! Does this mean I get less homework…?"

"If I were you Enid I would leave quickly before I change my mind." Enid gulped and started to make her way out the hall, Maud, Jadu and Enid in tow.

Mildred grabbed her bag and went to go after her friends. "Wait just one moment Miss Hubble." She turned round and saw Miss Hardbroom watching her intently.

"Yes Miss.." Mildred suddenly felt really shy.

"I believe I owe you an apology Mildred." Miss Hardbroom said sincerely. "I jumped to conclusions and judged you too harshly, I am sorry for not believing you.

"I um.. I don't know what to say miss."

"I think you will be a fabulous Head Girl Mildred. Rest assured, I will make sure that you are." HB smiled before disappearing.

Mildred looked around the great hall, smiling with pleasure at the cold stone floor, the rustic ancient walls and the Cackles academy logo behind the stage. It was good to be home.

Perhaps this year would be a good one after all?

xxx


End file.
